Electronic Cigarettes

For the first time, the federal government will regulate the booming electronic cigarette industry, under a proposal being released Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration wants to ban sales of e-cigarettes to minors, require approval for new products, and require health warning labels. Companies would also be banned from making health-related claims without scientific evidence.

As electronic cigarettes grow in popularity as an alternative to smoking, so do concerns about teens who use them.

D.J. Wilson of the Massachusetts Municipal Association says the self-reported rate of e-cigarette use by high schoolers doubled between 2011 and 2012. “For kids, it’s cheaper than buying a pack of cigarettes,” said Wilson.